ARTICLES ABOUT NCERT BY DATE - PAGE 2

NEW DELHI: In a development that could raise some political discomfort, a HRD ministry appointed committee has concluded that "due process" was followed in selecting the political cartoons used in the NCERT's political science textbooks . The one-man committee of former education secretary BS Baswan found that no official can be held responsible for the "lapses" that allowed the inclusion of "inappropriate" cartoons in the textbooks. The former education secretary stressed that the decision to include the cartoons was a collective one. The former education secretary submitted the report late last week.

NEW DELHI: To remove fear of mathematics from the minds of students, there is need to integrate Vedic system in NCERT textbooks as it is easier to learn and can help develop competence among students, experts said today. "Vedic Mathematics method is easier in solving problems as compared to modern mathematics. There is a need for integrating Vedic Mathematics with modern mathematics which NCERT follows to develop competence among students to solve mathematical problems faster than computers and calculators," Atul Kothari, National Secretary of Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas told reporters.

NEW DELHI: The NCERT's national textbook monitoring committee, which met on Saturday to decide on the use of political cartoons in the political science textbooks, expressed its "disappointment" over the SK Thorat Committee report. The Thorat Committee was set up to review political cartoons and other contents of the social science and political science textbooks for class IX to XII following protests by the Members of Parliament. The committee had recommended the removal of 21 cartoons, and several other elements, as well as amendments to captions and other textual material.

NEW DELHI: After JNU professor MSS Pandian , a member of the Thorat Committee, objected to deleting cartoons from the NCERT political science textbooks, it now the turn of the experts consulted by the Committee to register their objections. Two experts-- Arun Patnaik a political science professor from Hyderabad University and Apurba K Baruah , head of the political science department at North-Eastern Hill University—have objected to the manner in which the Thorat Committee has ignored submissions by experts.

NEW DELHI: After JNU professor MSS Pandian, a member of the Thorat Committee, put his objections to deleting cartoons from the NCERT political science textbooks, it now the turn of the experts consulted by the Committee to register their objections. One of the experts, Arun Patnaik a political science professor from Hyderabad University , has written to the Committee chairman SK Thorat and NCERT director Pravin Sinclair stating his objections. Patnaik contends that though experts were consulted, their views and submissions were not included in the final report.

At its root, the whole controversy on cartoons in NCERT textbooks underlines the malaise afflicting political debate in the country: passions whipped up in aid of divisive political ambitions. Here, rage and slanging matches trump reasoned debate. One of the stated reasons for the order of the six-member panel constituted to review cartoons — that politicians and bureaucrats can't be shown in an 'incorrect' way — amply reveals that undemocratic spirit. Some of the suggestions of the panel, say, about changing the captions of cartoons that have appeared years ago border on the Orwellian.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Wednesday's meeting of the national textbook monitoring committee of NCERT , those who were involved in writing the texts have expressed concern over the Thorat Committee report . In its 39-page report, the Thorat Committee has said that the problems that arose on the use of cartoons could be attributed to the fact that there was no system of getting adequate feedback on the textbooks, before they were adopted for...

NEW DELHI: The majority of the 20 cartoons suggested for removal by the Thorat Committee from the NCERT IX to XII textbooks on political science relate to common perceptions of the politician. Many of the cartoons that face the axe show the use of money power in politics, rush among ministers for plum portfolios, the nexus between politicians and criminals etc. The Thorat Committee, set up to go into the use of political cartoons, and other innovative elements in textbooks, has recommended the removal of 20 cartoons, alterations in the captions or explanatory text used in some cartoons.

New Delhi: The six-member Thorat Committee's report on the use of political cartoons in NCERT social science/political science textbooks for Class IX to XII has not been able to turn in a unanimous report. One-member of the panel has filed a dissenting note, favouring the use of cartoons to improve the learning process. The majority of the panel members have suggested that there has been an overuse of political cartoons, and recommended removal or change of as many 20 cartoons used in the textbooks.

NEW DELHI: A committee set up to examine the cartoons in NCERT textbooks is understood to have recommended removal of some "objectionable" toons but at the same time has suggested framing of guidelines for choosing the right ones. The six-member panel which was set up following the row over B R Ambedkar's cartoon in the political science textbook felt that as cartoons were good learning tools they should not be discarded away with completely, sources said. The panel headed by Sukhadeo Thorat, chairperson of the Indian Council of Social Science Research , submitted its report to NCERT a couple of days back.